(subject to change)
Monday, September 19
2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Attendees are invited to sign up to tour the following Clemson University facilities:
Clemson’s Recycling Facilities, offering the opportunity to gain practical knowledge of the solid waste stream. Clemson manages its own solid waste recovery, recycling and reuse through consolidation at two campus facilities:
- Kite Hill Recycling Center: a “mini-MRF” that handles the recovery, sortation, consolidation, and diversion of municipal solid waste.
- Cherry Crossing Research Center: an organics recycling, composting and research facility. This facility takes the university’s food waste, yard waste and other fiber-based materials and turns them into a soil amendment-quality compost that can be repurposed and resold under the Clemson Compost brand.
Clemson’s Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences Department blends many disciplines – biology, chemistry, engineering, health and more – to both help people live healthier lives and to help private industry deliver safely packaged food to a growing global population. Clemson’s top national ranking reflects education rooted in real-world problems and industry partnerships. Highlights include the following research and education labs:
- CEFPAK: Center for Excellence in Flexible Packaging
- Packaging Dynamics Lab: ISTA Certified testing facility
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Welcome Reception & Registration
The Welcome Reception features the best of industry partnerships throughout The Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design and Graphics. Labs will be open and hosted by students, and activities will be throughout the building, including:
- Seaside Grown cooking demonstrations featuring locally sourced products that support sustainability
- CU Shop, Clemson’s Eye Tracking R&D lab demonstrations
- Social Media Listening Center “pop-up” demonstrations
- Rapid prototyping, Print and Esko Lab tours hosted by students
Tuesday, September 20
8:00 am – 8:15 am
Registration
8:15 am – 10:00 am
Breakfast and Keynote Presentation
Breakfast sponsored by Milliken
Welcome
Brian O’Rourke
Vice President of Advancement
Clemson University
Howard Coker
President & Chief Executive Officer
Sonoco
Keynote Presentation: Does a Reimagined Food System Reimagine Your Growth?
There are a number of disruptions transforming the food system, some structural and some systemic. Having a clear vision of what the industry will look like, the drivers changing it and how technology will enable the transformation will be critical in reimagining your own growth. Producers, manufacturers and retailers need to think and act differently to not only respond to industry disruptions but to also drive the disruption and be part of shaping the future food system. Will you disrupt or be disrupted?
Rob Dongoski
EY Food and Agriculture Leader
Partner, EY-Parthenon
10:00 am – 10:45 am
Fireside Chat: Technology-Enabled Transformations
Transformational technologies to achieve sustainability goals are quickly accelerating opportunities. Join Kathleen Cook, IBM Food Trust, to learn from a panel of stakeholders who will discuss their experiences and insights to applying AI solutions in the value chain. Panelists will also share the impact of technology-enabled transformations in driving safe, secure and sustainable solutions across multiple sectors of the food value chain.
Introduction
Ann Marie Alexander
Assistant Vice President, Strategic Corporate Partnerships
Clemson University
Speakers
Kathleen Cook
Innovation Executive
IBM Supply Chain Intelligence & Sustainability
Donna Lanzetta
Founder/CEO
Manna Fish Farms, Inc.
Donald Prater, DVM
Associate Commissioner for Imported Food Safety
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
10:45 am – 11:15 am
Coffee Break
Coffee Break sponsored by PreZero
11:15 am – 12:00 pm
Sustainable Packaging: A Layer by Layer Look at Achieving Success
Addressing the environmental crisis created by food packaging relies on defining and achieving truly sustainable solutions. This panel delves into a layer-by-layer look at the materials, technologies, processes, and certifications necessary to successfully achieve sustainable packaging. Equally important, this session will also provide examples of the essential partnerships needed to drive innovation and meet market demands.
Moderator
Keith Belli, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences and Associate Vice President for Public Service and Agriculture
Clemson University
Speakers
Nikola Juhasz, Ph.D.
Global Technical Director for Sustainability
Sun Chemical
Chris Schaefer
Global Marketing Director
EarthFirst® Films by PSI
Jason Stufflebeam
Senior Product Stewardship Engineer
Printpack, Inc.
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm
Summit Highlights: Zero Waste Event Strategies
Each year Sonoco FRESH sponsors Creative Inquiry courses which offer undergraduate students the opportunity to work on research projects. This year’s course tackles zero waste events and includes hands-on experience planning the 2022 Food, Packaging & Sustainability Summit with mentorship from WM and Aramark. Students have also participated in activities such as Clemson’s annual Game Day Recycling Challenge (football) and have gained applied knowledge of event planning with the environment in mind. Join us for an overview of their planning process and insights into decision-making.
Introduction
Anne Barr
Executive Director, Sonoco FRESH
Clemson University
Speakers
Ted Langlois
Associate, Sustainability & Environmental Solutions
WM
Dave VanDeventer
Solid Waste and Recycling Manager
Clemson University
Cassidy Nosenzo
Masters in Sustainability Student
Wake Forest University
12:30 pm – 12:45 pm
Break
12:45 pm – 2:15 pm
Lunch Presentation
Lunch sponsored by NOVA Chemicals
Summit Highlights: Gift Box Reveal
The student-designed gift box has quickly become a hallmark of the Food, Packaging & Sustainability Summit. This year’s gift box demonstrates technology as an enabler of food safety and sustainability – themes of the 2022 Summit, along with a compostable packaging concept developed for Holmes Sweet Home by Printpack. Mentored by Clemson faculty and experts from Digimarc and Printpack, students were challenged to create a design that would incorporate technology, accommodate two products, and be consistent with the Summit’s sustainability narrative. Get ready to see an impressive solution to this design challenge.
Introduction
Chip Tonkin, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Graphic Communications and Director, Sonoco Institute of Packaging Design & Graphics
Clemson University
Speakers
Haley Appleby
Lecturer, Department of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences
Clemson University
Sophie Owen
Packaging Science Student
Clemson University
The War on Food Waste
Food waste at its core demonstrates the disparity between those who have excess food and those who are food insecure. However, that is only the beginning of the story. Food Waste also contributes significantly to greenhouse gases, needlessly consumes resources such as water and land to grow food that is not consumed, and compounds multiple challenges across the food value chain.
This panel includes social and corporate activists who bring expertise and leadership in addressing this complex topic. Each strategy to reduce food waste illustrates the social and economic impact across the food value chain, and may provide ideas for your own organizations.
Moderator
Claire L.A. Dancz, Ph.D., M.P.A.
Research Associate, Watt Family Innovation Center, Faculty Director, Grand Challenge Scholars Program
Clemson University
Speakers
Matthew Aronson
Chief Revenue Officer
Verdant Technologies
Marie Davis
Field Implementation Manager, Enterprise Sustainability
Aramark
Anna DeLage
Recycling Market Development Manager
South Carolina Department of Commerce
2:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Creating Opportunities to Close the Loop on Circular Plastics
Closing the loop on circular plastics takes a village. The entire value chain from resin manufacturers, recyclers, plastics converters, brand owners, retailers and consumers is critical. NOVA Chemicals and Charter Next Generation recognize they play an important role in this value chain for creating opportunities to close that loop. In this session, hear how each of them are tackling this complex task and how they came together to bring the best of what they both do to close the loop.
Moderator
Sabrina Dixon-Ridges
Director, Business Strategy Alignment – Global Sustainability
Sonoco
Speakers
Brent Greiner
Vice President of Technology
Charter Next Generation
Alan Schrob
Manager, PCR Business Development
NOVA Chemicals Inc.
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Coffee Break
Coffee Break sponsored by TIPA
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm
Breakout Sessions: Sustainability Explored by Sector
Sustainability means many different things to many different stakeholders. Each Breakout Session offers an excellent opportunity to enhance your knowledge of this ever changing and ever-expanding landscape of some of the key areas of sustainability across the food value chain.
Introduction
Jeff Schuetz
Staff Vice President, Global Technology (Retired)
Sonoco
Life Cycle Assessment in Packaging: Un-Wrapping the Benefits and Challenges
Life Cycle Assessments have become a primary tool in the race to evaluate the environmental impact of new packaging concepts under development. Hear from LCA experts with insights to this technology’s benefits and limitations, along with a discussion on leveraging LCAs to support a new generation of solutions. The session will include topics such as the efficacy of LCA indicators published on packaging, the utility of streamlined LCA tools for industry, translating data points to actionable decisions, and design for reusable packaging – functional units and environmental impacts.
Speakers
Duncan Darby, Ph.D.
Professor, Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences Department
Clemson University
Ashley Drew
Manager, Sustainability, Americas
UPM Raflatac
Liz Ernst
Sustainability Analyst
Sonoco
The Impact of Sustainability KPIs in the Capital Markets
In the race to reverse the environmental impacts of global warming, companies are being challenged to substantially accelerate sustainability targets and timelines. To gain a deeper understanding of the impact of sustainability KPIs in the capital markets, join this session for insights to green bonds, green loans, and other ways companies are responding to investor expectations of our corporate citizens.
Speakers
Kenneth Bruce
Principal
Red Rock Global Advisors
Shontavia Johnson
Associate Vice President for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Clemson University
Tierney Seidel
Vice President, Sustainable Capital Markets
Rabobank
Industry 4.0: A Practical Guide to Understanding Sustainable Manufacturing
Whether you are involved as a decision maker working directly in manufacturing or would simply benefit from a deeper understanding of what industry 4.0 means for sustainable manufacturing and the products you make and sell, this session will provide valuable context. Please join thought leaders and experts for this behind the scenes look at how Industry 4.0 supports success in achieving ESG goals.
Speakers
Catherine Hayes
Industry Manager
South Carolina Research Authority
Mark Johnson, Ph.D.
Thomas F. Hash Endowed Chair in Sustainable Development and Director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing
Clemson University
Asem Mokaddem
President
Tellus Products
Compostable Packaging Technologies, Practices and Certification
Composting has gained significant momentum as a responsible end-of-life solution for food waste and a pathway to address global warming. This session looks at advances that support package composting through improved sortation to remove contaminates. It also explores consumer engagement strategies to build trust with certifications and demonstrates how compostable packaging can promote the recycling of food waste.
Speakers
Kay Cooksey, Ph.D.
Professor and Cryovac Endowed Chair, Department of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences
Clemson University
Jay Sperry
Global Digital Transformation Leader
Digimarc
Jason Stufflebeam
Senior Product Stewardship Engineer
Printpack, Inc.
Michael Waas
Vice President, North America
TIPA
5:45 pm – 7:00 pm
Reception and Student Poster Displays
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Farm to Fork Dinner Highlighting Sustainability in South Carolina
Dinner sponsored by Aramark and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture
Highlights of Farm to Fork Dinner
Leadership from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture will welcome guests to this evening’s dinner showcasing the wealth of locally grown food options in our region.
Introduction
George Askew, Ph.D.
Vice President for Public Service and Agriculture
Clemson University
Speaker
Hugh E. Weathers
Commissioner
South Carolina Department of Agriculture
Wednesday, September 21
8:00 am – 9:30 am
Breakfast and Keynote Presentation
Breakfast sponsored by Dupont
Implementing pep +: Positive Change for People and the Planet
PepsiCo recently introduced pep + (PepsiCo Positive), a strategic end-to-end transformation to drive sustainable long-term value and competitive advantage. Rachael Lawrence will provide a brief overview of pep + and will share updates and examples of successes with PepsiCo’s internal stakeholders and across its value chain.
Introduction
Robert H. Jones, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Clemson University
Speaker
Rachael Lawrence
Senior Director of Sustainable Packaging
PepsiCo Foods North America
9:30 am – 10:15 am
Packaging Has a Sustainability Story… What’s the Right Way to Tell It?
Presentation sponsored by Pregis
Americans increasingly want to be seen as eco-friendly buyers of green products, and they increasingly expect companies and brands to lead the way in creating a sustainable, socially responsible future. This of course, extends to packaging. Your brand may wrongly or rightly be judged as “good” or “bad” for society by its packaging, based on the perceptions and knowledge of each consumer. So how can you tell your packaging story in a way that builds brand favorability and purchase?
Suzanne Shelton, CEO of Shelton Group, the country’s leading marketing communications firm focused entirely in the ESG space, will share her firm’s latest market insights and real-world experience to answer those questions and more!
Introduction
Michele Cauley
Professor of Practice, Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business
Clemson University
Speaker
Suzanne Shelton
President & CEO
Shelton Group
10:15 am – 10:45 am
Coffee Break
Coffee Break sponsored by Sustana Fiber
10:45 am – 11:30 am
Navigating the Three Rs: Myth Busting Sustainability Lore
Navigating the Three Rs: Myth Busting Sustainability Lore will focus on controversial perceptions around the three “Rs,” reduce, reuse and recycle. Throughout the session, attendees will be invited to vote on whether each statement is a myth or a reality and will have the opportunity to hear subject matter experts offer thoughts and provide case studies on each topic. Included are topics such as carbon credits, designing for the end of life, food waste, acceptable waste stream contamination rates, and consumers and recycling considerations.
Introduction
Windsor Sherrill, Ph.D.
Professor of Health Sciences and Associate Vice President for Health Research
Clemson University
Moderator
Cassandra Snelling
Marketing Manager of Global Sustainability
Sonoco
Speakers
Heather Batt, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer, Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences Department
Clemson University
Ezra Cates, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences
Clemson University
Greg Johnson
Director of New Business Development
Sustana Fiber
Elizabeth Rhue
Staff VP of Global Sustainability
Sonoco
11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Lunch and Keynote Presentation
Lunch sponsored by Seaside Grown
Conserving the Magic – Operationalizing Disney’s Environmental Goals
This presentation will offer an inside look at how Disney is operationalizing its 2030 Environmental Goals, including a focus on establishing champions across the organization, engaging Cast Members with training and tools, piloting new processes and technologies and inspiring Guests during their vacation.
Introduction
James P. Clements, Ph.D.
President
Clemson University
Speakers
Chef Gary Jones
Environmental Culinary Specialist
Walt Disney World® Resort
Steve Vanarsdall
Environmental Integration Manager
Walt Disney World® Resort
Closing Remarks
Anne Barr
Executive Director, Sonoco FRESH
Clemson University
FRESH Food, Packaging & Sustainability Summit 